The Jason Cuddle Showdown
by anakinlove
Summary: So, I decided Jason doesn't get enough cuddles so i wrote an entire story where basically all he does is cuddle. You're Welcome.
1. Chapter 1 Dickie

First of all, thank you all so much, those of you who have recently reviewed and read my stuff and thanks for being patient, I've been real busy of late. Anyway, totally excited, have a new Pope! It's cool for me, maybe you guys don't care so much but I'm bouncing of the walls. Anyway, here it is, my latest project, the Jason cuddle showdown. I've decided Jason doesn't get enough cuddles so I proceeded to write an entire story focused around all of that.

**Minimal Plot! **

**Maximum Cuddling! **

**A tearful emotional breakdown in every chapter guaranteed!**

All the things you've come to expect of the quality work from anikanlove industries (so wish I could change my name, but you know, brand recognition and all that good stuff). Anyway, here it is, the Showdown to end all Showdowns!

**This is ****The Jason Cuddle Showdown**

Chapter One: Dickie!

Dick is so stupid. He looks stupid, he laughs stupid, he jumps around like a fucking frog really stupidly. There is nothing about Dick that isn't well…stupid. "Jaaaaaaason! Jason, Jason, Jason, come here would you." I gave a loud groan and stalked over to him, crouching beside him.

"What?" I snapped. Dick grinned widely at me, or I should say, Nightwing did. He was wearing that stupid blue costume with those stupid blue finger strips* which meant that right now, he was supposed to be a serious crime fighter. The day Dick acted serious for more than half a second was the day the sun would melt.

"Look Jay!" he said excitedly.

"I'm the Red Hood", I snapped, "hence the Red Hood. What are you pointing at anyway?"

"Look", Nightwing repeated excitedly, "that guy over there, he dropped his ice cream!" Nightwing started giggling violently and I gave a roar of frustration. "Aww, come on Blue Jay, lighten up." I swung around, grabbing his collar and hauled him close.

"Don't you ever call me that", I hissed in his face. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Whatever baby bro." I released him and stalked off. "Are we going to get this done or not?"

"'Course", Nightwing replied, bouncing after me. "I wish you'd lighten up."

"And I wish you'd go fuck yourself but we can't always have what we want."

"Language Jason, be a good boy."

"Fuck you", I snapped. I wished I didn't have to work with him, but it was out of necessity I had sought him out. The Balloon Man, a local drug lord, had managed to wiggle his way out from under my boot and had his boys dealing to a local high school, which I absolutely could not condone.

Unfortunately, the Balloon Man was clever and was holed up somewhere I couldn't seem to locate. I also had intel his hired help was pretty good and had little doubt in my mind I would need some assistance taking him out. So, while I was at loathe to reach out to anyone, my detective skills were not quite good enough to allow me to find my quarry and I needed someone talented to watch my back.

Batman, naturally, was the obvious choice but I would rather lick a urinal than go to him asking for help. So, I reluctantly sought out Nightwing. He was talented enough to hold his own by my side and was a better detective than I. Nightwing, as I predicted, gleefully agreed to help me out and promised not to mention anything to anyone, bounding about boisterously at my side.

I contemplated again why I didn't ask Red Robin and then remembered that I hated him. Anyway, while his detective skills were unmatched by anyone but the Dark Knight himself, Bruce would kill me if his precious little Timmy got so much as a paper cut and I didn't want him breathing down my neck.

Nightwing afforded me much more anonymity, as he wouldn't go running back to Bruce the moment I contacted him, and was, and I admitted it begrudgingly, a better fighter than I, though not by much. "Lets see", Nightwing said, "I heard some tips of late and judging by the evidence we've gathered, I'd say it's a safe bet your man's holed up in Carver's Palace."

"Damn", I cursed, "that's lovely."

"I know", Nightwing agreed, "kind of a pain, but whatever, we'll do it. We're Nightwing and the Red Hood, the greatest crime-fighting duo that ever lived." He leapt up onto the rim of the roof, gazing heroically over the city with a big grin splitting his face.

"Shut up", I snapped, giving him a shove. He toppled off the roof, but I wasn't worried about him. He'd catch himself in good time. Sure enough, a moment later, I saw him swing up onto an adjacent building, laughing loudly.

"I'm gonna beat you there little bird." I rolled my eyes and shot off a cable, swinging along after him.

Carver's Palace was a meatpacking factory before it closed down but there were several odd things about it that made it a prime spot for a criminal to hole up. For one thing, it was built like some sort of fortress with few windows and few doors. There were myriad twists and turns with many rooms perfectly positioned for a long standoff, giving a defensive party all the edge it usually needed.

The Palace was fought over viciously, the property changing hands between gangs about once a month and I suppose December's victor had been the Balloon Man. Nightwing and I crouched behind a wall across from the building, gazing at it from our fortified position as the snow came down lightly, dusting our shoulders.

Below us, activity surged. A new shipment of drugs had just come in and was being loaded into the shadowy back rooms to be dealt over the local communities. Surveying the progress of the shipment himself was the Balloon Man, eyes glazed over with boredom as the substance that had destroyed the future of many a child was packed away.

I started to rise, gun cocked and loaded, when Nightwing put a hand on my arm. I looked down at him and he shook his head, pointing to the snipers I hadn't noticed positioned on the roof across from us. If I blew my cover, I'd have a shot to the head before I could even turn around. Giving an irritated grunt, I crouched down again beside him. "Thanks", I mumbled dryly, since he had just saved my life.

Nightwing smiled broadly at me and put an arm around my shoulders, giving me a snuggle. I swatted him away and returned my focus the scene below me. "You know", Nightwing said, sliding a light hand beneath my shirt and pressing it to my side, "I can feel your ribs kiddo. Are you sure you're eating enough?"

"Would you get your hands out of my clothes and just leave me alone", I snapped, shoving him away.

"Just saying", he replied, "you seem a little snappish. Have you been getting enough sleep? It might be because of that crappy mattress you know. How about I give you mine. It's a lot more comfortable and I think…"

"Dick", I snarled, cutting him off. "Shut. Up."

"Ok, ok", Nightwing replied, "just trying to look out for you."

"I can take care of myself," I replied, "I've been doing it since you were swinging on that trapeze circus boy. Now, how are we supposed to get in there?"

"Well", Nightwing replied, "I'd say we just have to wait until they finish and things settle down before can sneak inside. Shouldn't take more than a few hours."

"Fine", I replied, "we can wait here." I tugged off my helmet and settled down on the hard ground, my head pillowed on my folded arms.

"Jay, how about you take a little nap. I'll wake you up when it's time to go and you can put your head on my lap if you want."

"Leave me alone Dick", I growled.

"Come on", Nightwing said, sitting down next to me. He took my head gently and put it on his lap. I would have fought him off, but damn, his lap was a hell of a lot softer than my armored forearms. Reluctantly, I remained. Nightwing seemed satisfied by this and started to stroke my hair. I hadn't had my hair stroked in ages so this was an interesting experience and not altogether an unpleasant one.

It reminded me of boring parties when I would lie down with my head on Dick's lap as the two of us watched Bruce entertain well into the night and sleepovers at his apartment, a blur of violent movies and tons of sugar.

"I can sing you a little song if you want."

"How about you just shut up?" I replied. He smiled down at me.

"Alright, you just get some rest little one." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm bigger than you are now."

"Aww Jay, you'll always be my little one, no matter how big you get." I grumbled darkly about this but after only a minute or so, I was fast asleep.

"Jason", I heard a whisper gently in my ear.

"Five more minutes dad", I grumbled, not wanting to wake up and go to school just yet. The voice giggled.

"I'm not Bruce silly, come on, we have to go now." I opened my eyes and saw Nightwing gazing down at me, a loving smile on his face. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

"Yuck", I snapped, shoving his face roughly away, "what is your problem?"

"Jason", Nightwing said admonishingly, "that hurt, come on, be a good boy."

"I am getting really tired of you saying that", I growled.

"Well", he replied gently, "if you would be a good boy, I wouldn't have to. Now, come on." With that, he started towards the fire escape.

"How are we going to get in?" I asked, dogging his heels.

"The front door", he replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. With that, he slid down the building and landed lightly on the ground in front of the warehouse, I slipped down slowly, crouching beside him. "Watch", Nightwing said softly and crept up to the truck loitering in front of the building.

I could see the driver chatting it up with a guard even as Nightwing contorted himself into a shape I didn't even know was humanly possible and sliding into a dark space of the truck's interior. "Like hell I'm doing that", I muttered and slunk under the truck, attaching myself to the bottom of it. Thick truck fumes replaced the cool night air and I found myself forcing back a cough.

I wished the guy would hurry up and start moving. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the truck began to move, slowly rolling into the warehouse. I clung on, watching the boots of the men as I rode by. The truck stopped a few minutes after it had started and we had rolled into the factory.

From where I was, I could see the bases of boxes and hear the tramping of boots and the loud voices, despite the rumbling of the truck above me. It loitered for a moment in place before the driver shut it off and left it in its place. "We can unload the boxes later", he called, "that's the last truckload anyway. I'm going to just leave it."

"Fine", the another man agreed, "lets close up and start working on this shipment. I want dealing to start tomorrow." The men began to trickle out, one by one, until there were none left. The lights were turned off and the room started to fill up with a musty, fetid odor. I finally let go of the truck, stretching and groaning softly. I turned on my flashlight and illuminated the dark space in the truck were Nightwing was.

"Hood", he murmured, untangling his body as he climbed out of the vehicle, "what do you think?"

"I don't know", I replied sharply, "you're supposed to be leading this thing."

"The boss used to have schematics on this place", Nightwing replied, "made me memorize 'em. How about you?"

"Sure", I replied, "but my memory's not the best."

"Neither is mine", Nightwing said, "damn, I wish Tim were here. Him and his freakish photographic memory would come in handy right about now. Well, maybe we can piece our plan together from what we do remember." He sat down on the ground and pulled a piece of chalk from his belt. "Now", he said, drawing a rectangle on the concrete floor, "here's the building." He drew another rectangle. "We're here, in the main hall."

After a few minutes of drawing passageways, he seemed to have exhausted his memory. I filled in some of the blanks with what I remembered, but there were still a lot of blank places in our little map. "So', I said, "I bet you anything he's holed up back here." I pointed to a little room at the very back of the building complex. "Unfortunately, the most direct route takes us through most of the area the two of us have forgotten."

"We could try going around", Nightwing offered. I shook my head.

"It'd take to long."

"Alright", Nightwing agreed, "whatever you think will work. Lets hop to it." It seemed he meant the word hop literally because he got up, bounding foreward on light feet like a stag. I rolled my eyes and went after him.

We started through the fortress warily, listening intently for threatening sounds. A rat scurried by, little claws scraping the concrete, and we paused, arms arching in batarang throwing positions, until we ascertained it wasn't a threat. Door after door we traveled through until we finally reached the center of the complex.

We met no resistance on our way through, something neither of us were particularly comfortable with. "Why aren't there more guards?" Nightwing muttered in consternation. I shook my head.

We opened one final door and our jaws dropped open. There, in the very center of the complex, was what looked like a fire pit from Apocalypse. Belching black smoke and shooting up flames periodically, it sat sinisterly and mysteriously. "I feel like I would have remembered this from Batman's plan", Nightwing murmured. I nodded in agreement.

"It must be new."

"Ahh, boys, here you are. I'd so hoped your daddy would come too, but I suppose he was busy. Well, I'll settle with two of his brats." Before I could do anything, I was clubbed over the head and fell unconscious, the last thing I heard Nightwing's grunt of pain.

When I came to, I could feel something warm up against my back. My hands and legs were chained and I shifted a bit awkwardly with a moan. "You awake kiddo", I heard a voice behind me say. Lovely, I was chained to Nightwing, that was exactly what I needed in my life right then.

"Yea, I'm up, where are we?" I looked around, but the room was fairly dark. The only light present came in from a little window with bars on it.

"Far as I can tell, some kind of cell. I don't think we've left the palace though."

"Since when does the palace have cells?" I asked. Nightwing shrugged.

They must have put then in when they put in the fire pit, though I'm not quite sure why that is and I feel like it's something important to figure out. I shifted, wiggling and rubbing up against his back as I tried to free myself, but unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands free. They'd even chained me in such a way, I couldn't just break my hand to get lose.

"Already tried that little wing, we're going to have to figure something else out."

"Obviously", I grumbled, "look, they took my belt and my holsters, but I still have a lock pick in the top seam of my pants, see if you can get at it."

"Wow", Nightwing said, "you're well prepared, aren't you little bro. B'd be so proud."

"Just hurry up", I grumbled. I felt Nightwing's fingers start to prod around. That was not a pleasant sensation in the slightest, like little bugs crawling over me. "Quit poking me in the ass", I hissed.

"Sorry", Nightwing replied, "but I can't seem to find the stupid thing. Did you just sit down one day and sew lock picks into all your pants."

"No", I growled. There was a moment of silence. "It took two days." Nightwing giggled and finally grasped the lock pick. Just as he was easing it out from the seam, our cell burst open. The Balloon man stood in the doorway, arms crossed.

"Well, well, well, how the mighty have fallen. It's the Red Hood and low and behold, one of the bat brats as well." Both Nightwing and I glowered at him from behind our masks, which gratefully, had been left on. "Now", the Balloon man said, "the nice thing about the Red Hood is that he keeps my business rivals in check but I'm afraid I have no real use for Nightwing here."

With that, two burly men came up, unchaining Nightwing and dragging him to his feet. Nightwing tried to struggle free, but one of the men pressed a gun to his temple. "Don't move birdie boy", he hissed. Already, I was using the lock pick as quickly as I could, trying to get free. I had to help. Nightwing stared at his captors coldly, fire in his eyes. The Balloon man smirked.

"What are you going to do sparrow? Come on." With that, he gave Nightwing a rough shove and forced him out of the cell. "Now Red Hood, it's your chance to see exactly what happens to those who cross me", the Balloon man hissed, from this day foreward, "I shall be feared and respected for the master of all things that I am!"

With that, he gave Nightwing another shove. The former boy wonder was now on the edge of the roaring fire pit. I worked faster with the lock pick. One man leveled his gun on Nightwing's back. My "older brother" turned his head, looking back at me for a moment with soft, soothing eyes, eyes that told me to relax, that nothing was going to happen.

I returned his gaze, relaying my rage. I didn't need him to try and soothe me, to baby me or to do anything whatsoever for me. I only needed me, no one else. But, before I could say a word, to him or anyone else, the thug behind Nightwing cocked his gun and let off a shot. Nightwing's body gave a sickening lurch and blood splattered outward. Then, as though in slow motion, he fell into the pit below, the flames reaching up to greet his limp form. I felt my heart drop out of my chest.

"Nightwing was…dead." I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, but a white hot bubbling rage consumed all other feelings at that moment and I made one last ditch effort to free myself from the chains. I shed the chains in under two seconds and was up on my feet, rushing as swiftly as I could towards the men.

With a roar, I was on them, tearing them to pieces with my kicks and punches. It was as though they were being mowed down like grass before me. Men were screaming and running, trying desperately to get away. They were lucky I didn't have my guns. In under five minutes, they all lay unconscious at my feet and the violence had purged my rage.

For a minute, I stood, panting and still seeing red but the next second, that all faded and I was left empty. Then, it was as though the bottom dropped out of my stomach and I was smothered by grief. It swallowed everything up like a great yawning mouth, filling my entire form until there was nothing in me but it.

I dropped to my knees, trembling and gave a choked sob. I couldn't even stand anymore; the heartache shoved me earthward. "Dick", I whispered. And then, I regretted what I'd said to him, how I'd treated me. He'd always shown me so much affection, always been gentle and soothing, but now he was gone and I'd…I'd never see him again.

Giving a roar of pure, unfiltered anguish, I stumbled out of the palace, my face in my hands and tears streaming down my cheeks. "Ohh god", I whispered to myself, running into walls and tripping over my feet, "Ohh god, he's dead." I rammed into a homeless man, stumbling past him and tripped over my own feet, hitting the ground and rolling into a puddle. My face was in the water and I couldn't breathe. It was pure reaction that I pulled it out. I was drowning in sorrow already and nothing really barred me from drowning as well.

Somehow, after an hour of stumbling around the city, I made it back to my apartment, throwing up and sobbing and clawing myself all at the same time, unable to deal with all this agony. My brother, my brother who I only realized I'd loved after he was dead.

I got out of my clothes, stripping down to my boxers and stumbled into the kitchen, slapping around for the light and ripping open the fridge. There had to be some beer in there somewhere, there just had to be. I had to forget, I had to escape, there had to be something I could do. I couldn't stand anything anymore. I found a can and was about to drown myself in it when I heard a voice.

"Jason, are you ok buddy?" I swung around, eyes wide with shock and red from crying. In fact, they were so glazed over with tears, I practically couldn't see and doubted in fact, what I believed I did perceive. There was Dick, or what looked like Dick at least, standing in the darkness of my apartment with concern in his eyes. "Jason, what's wrong?"

You…you're alive", I whispered, scarcely allowing myself to believe it.

"Of course I am", Dick replied, "gee Jay, you're gonna freeze to death in just that little pair of boxers. And don't go drinking this late at night. Tell you what, how about I run you a bath and we'll see about getting you to bed."

I choked, mostly because here he was, nagging and caring about me and acting like nothing had happened after I'd watched him die. It was too much for me to handle and, seeing him alive there, I lost all control. I rush up to him before he could say a thing and wrapped my arms around his middle, sinking to my knees and sobbing into his stomach.

"Jason", Dick said bewildered, are you ok? What's wrong?" His voice was urgent and filled with concern as he got down to my level, anxiously feeling me over for some wound that might cause me to act this way.

"I…I thought you were dead", I choked. "I…I couldn't take it." Dick paused in his search and gazed at me as I sobbed into his chest.

"Ohh Jason', he whispered gently, stroking my hair and putting his arms around me, "Ohh, it's ok, don't you cry, everything's gonna be fine kiddo."

"Why do you still care about me", I roared, shoving him away, "all I've done is cause you trouble. I'm not… I'm not good."

"You're still my baby brother", Dick whispered gently, "you'll always be my baby brother, even if you are bigger than me now. And Jason, yes you are good. Jason, you're such a good boy." A shudder went through my whole form once more and I shoved myself into his arms once more.

I sobbed for what seemed like an eternity but couldn't have been more than a few minutes while he soothed and comforted me, whispering softly and sweetly into my ear about nothing at all. I just allowed him to do so. It had been so long since I'd been held, to long, and for once, I let go and allowed myself to enjoy it.

I finally quieted after a few minutes, sagging against him as he held me, still stroking me gently. "Alright kiddo", he murmured, "have you had anything to eat tonight?" I nodded, stoically, still feeling painfully empty.

"Good, well then how about we get you into bed ok?" I nodded again and felt his strong arms around me, helping me up as I shivered.

"I'll fix up your wounds", Dick murmured, "and then you need to get to sleep. I even brought my first aid kit with you here, figured you might need some patching up." With that, he sat me down on the bed, turned on the light, and gently started ministering to my wounds, rubbing salve into them and cleaning them as best he could.

I remained silent through all of it, not even complaining when he kissed each and every one of my injuries with his soft lips. "Now", Dick said, "we'll get you into something warm and get you into bed." I nodded. I was practically catatonic by that time, submitting to everything he saw fit to do and I think noticed that because he paused in front of me and pressed a hand to my forehead. Kiddo, look at you, you're practically in shock.

He knelt down in front of me, taking my face in his hands. "It'll be ok little wing, I'm still here." He pushed a few strands of hair out of my eyes, gazing into them. I gave a shudder and pressed my forehead to his. "You're not gonna lose me", Dick whispered, "I promise, not now and not any time soon."

I breathed a heavy sigh and closed my eyes, relishing in the feel of his thumb sliding affectionately over my cheek. Then, he sat down next to me. "You wanna talk kiddo?" he asked gently. I relented for a moment and then acquiesced, grunting a yes and lying down, my head on his lap. Dick smiled and stroked my hair. "What happened after you thought I died?"

"I…I beat those guys up, I guess, I don't remember. And then, I got back here, somehow. How did you survive?" Dick smiled gently.

"Come on little wing, you think I would've gone to the palace without taking some precautions. I wore one of Bruce's teaser vests, you know, the ones with fake blood and super heavy duty Kevlar. I guess I forgot to tell you. I fell into the pit, but there were pipes on the side and I grabbed a couple of them. Hung there for what seemed like forever until I figured out a way to get out of that pit. By the time I got back up to ground level, you were already gone. I was worried about you, so I came here."

I nodded. That made sense. In fact, I realized I'd overreacted quite a bit to what happened. Had I really thought everything through, I could have realized all that sooner. "What happened to us Dick?" I asked softly, "We used to be so close." Dick shrugged.

"Stuff happens Jaybird, what happened to you…it wasn't easy and I'll admit, things were bumpy when you first got back. I'd like to try again though, I really do love you little wing and I've missed you."

"I've missed you too", I murmured, "maybe…maybe you and I can see each other sometimes."

"I think that can be arranged", Dick said softly, "we have a lot of catching up to do little bro." We were silent for a few minutes, him stroking my hair and me relaxing in his presence. Then, I broke the silence.

"Dick", I said softly, "I…I lied to you earlier."

"About what kiddo?"

"I haven't had anything to eat yet tonight."

"Well", Dick murmured, "let me fix that. Give me a minute." I sat up, allowing him to stand, which he did, giving me one final pat on the shoulder before walking into the kitchen. He was gone for about five minutes before coming back with a bowl of something steaming. I gazed questioningly at it. He shrugged.

"Brought a can of spagettios with me, figured you wouldn't have anything edible around here. Now, careful, it's hot." I rolled my eyes and took the bowl from him. The food felt really good, wonderfully good in fact, filling me up on the inside, more so than I'd been in a long time. Dick sat with me the entire time, rubbing my shoulders and back. I finished and handed the bowl back to him. He put it on the bedside table.

"You need a bath Jay", he murmured.

"Tomorrow", I muttered in reply, "I'm exhausted."

"Well, then I suppose it's time for bed. Now, give me a minute, I'll be right back." This time, he was gone for almost ten minutes and came back toting a giant mattress and a bag filled with bedclothes. I gazed at him incredulously.

"How did you get that thing up the stairs all by yourself?"

"Magic", he replied brightly, and shoved my mattress off my bed, putting down the new one. It fit, surprisingly, and he started to dress it in the bedclothes he'd brought.

"Honestly Dick, this is just overkill."

"Certainly not", Dick replied, "your blankets and sheets and pillows and just everything were nasty. I had to pick you up some new ones, along with a new mattress. We have to take care of your back, what with all the work you do. Always take good care of your bones little wing."

"Sure mom", I said sarcastically in reply. He grinned at me.

"I didn't get you pink, just be happy for that, I got you a nice, solid, boring gray. There, all done, now, go to sleep." With that, he gestured towards the newly made bed. I rolled my eyes and lay down. Ohh, it was wonderfully soft and much more comfortable than my old bed, not that I was going to tell him that.

"Now", Dick said, kissing my forehead and pulling the covers up around me, "night little wing, sweet dreams." Then, he turned, starting to leave. And watching his retreating back, I couldn't stand being alone any longer.

I wanted him, needed him to stay. "Dick", I said. Dick turned, gazing at me. "Will you…stay with me, at least until I fall asleep." Dick grinned.

"'Course kid." With that, he lay down next to me. I rolled over so that I was lying on my stomach and very gently, he rubbed my back in small circles. Soon, I was asleep.

*Fuck you DC, he does too have finger strips


	2. Chapter 2 Timmy

**So, thanks for all the great review guys, you were lovely. However, I did get one or two negative reviews. Basically, they kind of said my story was stupid. Ok, well, you know what, it's called The Jason Cuddle Showdown, WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK IT WAS GONNA BE! IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE STUPID; IT'S A STORY WHERE TWO GROWN MEN RUNNING AROUND IN TIGHTS CUDDLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. WHAT POSSIBLE OTHER WAY COULD THIS HAVE GONE? I mean honestly. And anyway, who the hell cares what I write, I write to entertain myself and other people and to practice writing in general so when my book gets published, it's not a piece of shit. Also, quick side note, I kinda hate it when people call my characters ooc, really now, it's fan fiction, as long as I'm writing about them, they're my characters and I can make them act however I want. Plus, they don't actually exist (it seems some people haven't actually figured this out, spoiler alert guys, Batman's not real!) so they technically can't act in character because they don't have one. I do what I want, it's a free world. If something specific really, really bugs you or you have a critique on my writing or something, as long as you do it classy, you can say whatever the hell you want. In fact, I would love it if you critiqued my actual writing, that would make me bounce off the walls. So anyway, rant done, thanks to most of you, you guys are da bomb, have a great day! **

Cold nights are a pain, especially when you're dressed in Kevlar, which never seems to hold as much heat as you would like. What I wanted was to toss a big winter coat on over my armor but, like the kid who's freezing on Halloween but doesn't want to ruin his costume by looking like a stupid puffball, I resisted the urge.

Throwing my arms around myself, I stood up atop that tall building and trembled, gazing out over the city. Why was I even out tonight? There really was no point, especially for me. I didn't really save people anymore and I certainly didn't care to run into Batman or any of the "kids" but something had tugged me out of the warmth of my newest safe house and into the freezing night air.

The snow began to fall, flurrying as it came down all over me. I'd be the white hood soon if I didn't get inside. Bounding down from where I had stood before, I landed lightly on a thin layer of snow and started to make my way home. I was only a little ways off and I was grateful.

It was probably the flash of red and black that caught my eye. The colors were exceedingly striking against the snow and, though it was just a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, I reacted anyway, swinging my head towards it. There he was, Drake, all decked out in fancy Red Robin attire with those gaudy showgirl wings. I would have laughed had I not thought it would give my position away.

"Hmm", I murmured, "What's bird boy doing?" Crouching in the snow, I gazed down at him. It would be easy to put a bullet in his brain from here, but I was interested. I recognized a stalk pattern when I saw one and clearly, Red Robin was sweeping and stalking, looking for clues to an enemy he knew was close but couldn't pinpoint the exact location of.

The snow falling should have made it easier for him, but it had since covered up any tracks and any evidence. Sorry Timmy boy, out of luck I guess. But, whom was he stalking? Crawling slowly over the roof so he wouldn't catch sight of me, I slunk down the side searching for his quarry about as avidly as he was.

It was then that I spotted them, a few big, beefy guys holed up at the corner of the building and out of sight from Drake's position. But, they didn't look frightened which was weird because even I had to admit (albeit begrudgingly) Drake was more than a match for them. Hmm, their confidence was interesting. Well, I could stand a few more minutes in the cold. This looking like it was going to be good.

Drake continued to do his best to track the men while one of them clambered around the other side of the corner. He had something in his hand, a gun I figured. Perhaps he would kill the kid. Talk about quality entertainment!

Slowly, the thug got closer and closer to Red Robin, creeping up behind him. Timmy was probably too cold and caught up in his work to even notice. The man raised his gun and I heard the muted sound of a dart. It was as if the kid's legs had been swept out from under him like some invisible opponent. He hit the ground hard on his side.

Shock registered in his deep blue eyes, though he looked no worse for wear, other than the fact that there was now a needle sticking out of his lower spine. But, it was clear something was wrong a minute later when Red Robin couldn't get up. In fact, he couldn't even seem to move his lower body at all. Panic flashed in his eyes as this realization dawned on him suddenly.

I silently chuckled to myself. So, these guys wanted to play with the little bird. Couldn't say I blamed them. Drake watched the men coming towards him, wolfish grins on their faces and bats in hand. One even had a length of chain. Ohh, this was going to be fun to watch.

I had to give the kid credit though, he didn't even break a sweat. As swiftly as he could, he started to drag his legs behind him, clawing his way across the rooftop with his arms. But, the thugs got to him in under a second. The first one swung down. And suddenly, they had surrounded him.

Tim's body lurched artificially as blows rained down on it. Then, he gave his first cry of pain. And the cries didn't stop. I could really hear him now, grunting under their blows, which just kept coming with no sign of letting up. I could see tears in his eyes, though he refused to flat out cry and give them that satisfaction.

They were kicking him, spitting on him, yelling things at him and beating him with those sticks over and over again. Bruce would slaughter them like dogs if he could see this. But, somehow, watching it wasn't as much fun as I'd thought it would be. In fact, I was starting to feel a stirring in my soul, one of compassion.

Finally, they stopped, laughing as they pulled back. That was the first full glimpse I got of the kid. He was lying there like a broken toy, his tiny chest moving up and down frantically as he tried to fight off the pain and the blood pooling everywhere. As soon as the former boy wonder saw an opening, however, he started again to drag himself away.

Laughing, the thugs watched his painfully slow going. Red Robin was in pretty bad shape now. Whatever they'd injected into his spine, it hadn't worn off and he still had no use of his legs. I was getting the sneaking suspicion this might just be a permanent thing. He was bleeding, bruised all over and shaking like a leaf with tears streaming down his cheeks, though he did his best to hide them from those men.

Drake continued to drag himself towards the edge of the rooftop, though I was at a loss as to what he was planning on doing when he got there. He could barely even heave himself along. How was he planning on making it away to safety?

Alright now, this had ceased to even be a little funny to me. It was just sick. If they were going to kill him, they should have just done it by now. This was cruel. I had to go, I couldn't watch anymore. The men just kept laughing. Then, one picked up a rock and tossed it with incredible accuracy right at the boy. It hit him in the hip and he gave a cry of agony.

More rocks started coming. Red Robin just kept dragging himself along, shaking and crying and trying to get away. That was when I snapped. I couldn't stand it anymore, this brutality. With a roar of fury, I swung down from the other rooftop and landed right next to the boy.

Throwing an arm around his chest, I dragged him away as swiftly as I could, his bright red blood staining the snow. He looked up at me in shock and I ducked behind one of those metal roof box things just as a barrage of bullets opened up.

The men, as stunned by my sudden appearance as I was, had taken a moment before reacting to my presence. Now however, they were determined not to lose their prize. "Keep your head down kid", I roared at Drake over the hail of metal all around us. I shoved him against the metal wall and held his head to my chest. He was shaking and trembling, but he held still, even going so far as to collect himself as best he could to more fully fit behind me. I had never realized how small he really was.

I knew we weren't going to last much longer. After all, this metal box thingy could only take so much. My best bet was to get off the rooftop. Quickly, I collected Red Robin close. "Put your arms around my neck", I ordered, and he obediently did so, his head still buried in my chest. He had no control over his legs, so I put an arm beneath him to hold him close, my other one wrapped around his back. Without another warning, I flipped off the back of the building.

The kid didn't even scream, he just held on tight. I shot off a cable with one arm, holding as much as I could of Tim with the other, and swung onto another rooftop. With that, I was off. The cave was on the other side of the city and so were Batman, Robin and Nightwing. I knew; I had seen them fighting Clayface over there.

Red Robin needed medical attention quick and we needed to get out of the open. The closest thing I could think of was my safe house and though I was at loathe to bring the little bird there, I knew I didn't really have any other options.

Carrying Tim wasn't so hard. He wasn't too heavy and he didn't speak at all. He just trembled in my arms, shaking like a leaf with his face buried in my chest. I was surprised he trusted me. Well, maybe he knew he didn't have a choice.

Finally, I made it to the safe house. Sliding in through the window with the kid's weight centered on my chest, I flicked on the lights. The first thing I needed to do was get Tim out of that costume. Putting the boy down on my bed, I slowly started to strip him.

Much of the costume I was peeling off because it was so soaked in blood, but I eventually managed to get off all the strips. Lying in his briefs* on my couch, he just shook, not even looking at me. I hoped he wasn't going into shock.

"Hey kid", I said, grabbing his shoulders, "kid?" Tim's eyes darted to my face. There was still terror there, deep and inescapable. For some reason, it stirred me like nothing ever had before. "I'm not gonna hurt ya kid, you're safe now." My voice was low and soothing. I didn't even know I could do that. But, the terror remained.

"I'm gonna turn you around so I can look at that needle, ok?" Tim didn't move so slowly I turned him. The needle was buried deep in his flesh and looked agonizing. "Hold still kid", I grunted, wrapping one leg around him while I positioned my arms in such a way to get the dart out, hoping the needle would come out with it.

Counting to three, I took a deep breath and tugged. A jolt went through Tim's small body and he gave a cry of agony, sagging backwards onto me. Slowly, I moved him off. "Alright kid, it's out." He lay back, shaking with tears still in his eyes and a dark, haunted look I couldn't seem to escape.

000000000000000000

Cleaning Tim up wasn't hard; he barely moved. He remained in this seemingly catatonic state the whole time, trembling and blinking as he stared out into space. It was starting to scare me, this lack of reaction to anything. I had literally no idea how to handle it. What was I supposed to do? I just cleaned him and we remained together in the silence.

Finally, I finished. It then occurred to me that he was probably freezing. The windows were all open, it was quite cold outside, and he was in his underwear. "Hold on a sec", I mumbled, and left, returning a moment later with a blanket after closing the windows. I sat in front of Tim and lifted him up a little so I could wrap it around his shoulders. That was when all the floodgates seemed to open.

Tim, with more speed than I had attributed to him, dragged himself quite suddenly onto my lap, buried himself in my chest and starting bawling. "Jason", he wailed pathetically, shaking with frantic tears. I was taken completely off guard. This was more emotion than I had ever seen this kid show and I had no idea what was wrong with him.

"Drake", I growled, "What the hell?"

"Jason", he sobbed, "please kill me." Now, this was really odd.

"What are you talking about?"

"Jason, I'm so scared, I can't live the rest of my life not being able to walk. I don't know what to do. Just kill me now. I can't face Bruce and Dick, I just can't." I understood the kid's fear then. Well, I guess terror was more like it. Obviously, the entire night had been traumatic for him and now, he believed he was going to be an invalid. It had proved too much and Red Robin simply couldn't cope.

Even though I understood, it didn't mean I knew how to deal with it. I couldn't kill the kid, that wouldn't solve the problem. What would Bruce do? Well, Bruce had no feelings and didn't understand anything. Alright, what would Dick do? Of course, I knew exactly what Dick would do. Dick would cuddle him until he felt better.

Well, that was just not going to happen, no way, no how. I was the Red Hood, not some nursemaid to a frightened seventeen-year-old. But, I chanced a glance down at him. The kid had no composure left and was literally grasping at me as though I was his lifeline. Somehow, it made me feel sick to see him reduced to this when, before, I had only seen a strong, intelligent, proud young man who's eyes shined with a desperate desire to know everything and be the very best at whatever he was doing. We weren't so different, him and I.

I felt an inexplicable surge of protectiveness and…affection. I could feel affection for this kid. Where the hell was that coming from? I hated Tim, didn't I? Well, sorting out my feelings could wait. The immediate problem of Timothy Jackson Drake Wayne sobbing hysterically on my lap needed attending to. So, I played it by instinct.

I put my arms around the boy's thin form and hauled him up a little more onto my lap. He didn't even seem to react all that much. He just curled up tighter, or tried to. I collected his legs up close to me. The nerve endings were still active, he could still feel my touch (I had since ascertained that), but he couldn't move them. Strange, to say the least, but also not a problem I could work on at the moment.

"Alright Timmy", I soothed, my voice dropping to a rumbling octave, "it'll be ok." I stroked his hair gently. It was so soft, so much softer than I expected it to be. I caressed his arm. That was also soft, the skin there. There was still baby fat on his tear stained cheeks. He was still so young, so vulnerable, so in need of protection.

I wrapped the blanket more tightly around him to keep him warm and pressed his cheek to my shoulder. "It's alright Timmy, things aren't so bad. You'll walk again, I promise. You don't have to cry." The words came so effortlessly. They ought not have. I'd never comforted anyone in my life but everything just flowed for him like a river.

And I loved him. That was a shock. Holding him tightly there, I realized I loved him. This was an emotion I hadn't experienced in so long, I almost believed I had lost the capacity to love. But he was my little brother, I realized that then too, and that realization made me cling to him all the tighter.

Finally, the crying subsided until he was just hiccupping softly in between tiny sobs. His small body still shook far too violently for me to feel comfortable, but I couldn't do much about that. I patted his leg gently, methodically, like one pats a baby. "I'm so sorry Jason", Tim whimpered softly, still leaning heavily against me, "I shouldn't have done that. I…I…I lost control of myself. I apologize. I…I…I should not have behaved that way."

"Tim", I grumbled, "do me a favor."

"What?" he asked.

"Just shut up, ok? Just shut the hell up and relax." Tim was now the confused one and when I looked down at him again, his soft blue eyes shown up at me in utter mystification, though there was a hint of fear there as well. Having gained his composure, Tim no longer wanted me to kill him (not that I think he ever really had) and was afraid of me again. Some things never changed.

"I'm not gonna hurt you", I rumbled soothingly, running a finger down the vertebrae of his spine, starting at the base of his skull and ending around his lower back, "at least not tonight. Do you think I would have cuddled you like this for ten minutes if I were planning on killing you?"

Tim's face turned as red as his costume, the realization dawning on him that he had initiated this in the first place, that he had shoved his way onto my lap, that he had shown the "weakness" and I had merely reacted to it. We were silent for a few moments more, I stroking him and he now stiff in my arms.

But, gradually, he again eased up, relaxing fully into my embrace with his cheek pressed to my shoulder. He gave a heavy sigh and shivered a bit. I drew the blanket around him more. "Hey", I said, "What made you start climbing all over me? That was weird kid, I'm not Dick you know."

Tim again blushed and I could see tears of shame collecting in the corners of his brilliant blue eyes. That was not what I had been going for at all. Why was I so bad at this stuff? "Look, I'm not trying to embarrass you kid, I just wanna know." Tim shrugged.

"I don't know", he replied softly, "I guess I just…needed someone to hold on to." He gazed up at me questioningly, like a student seeks a teacher's affirmation of a correct answer. Alright, I had to admit, that was pretty cute. Smiling, I ruffled his hair.

"I hate you so much kid", I grumbled, "You're way too easy to like." Tim gave a small, embarrassed smile and buried his head in my chest. I stroked his hair.

"We…we don't have to tell anyone about this, do we?" Tim asked softly. I snorted.

"Don't want the baby bird to tease you?" Tim gave me a moody look and I cuffed him lightly on the side of the head. "I know, he can be a jerk sometimes, just like his dad. Ok, I won't say nothing if you don't say nothing. This is bad for my image too, you know. I should have killed you. I'm going soft." Tim sat up a little, dragging his body around so that he was leaning up against me and facing the window. I put my arms around his waist, holding him tightly.

"It's really coming down now, isn't it?" he murmured, gazing at the snow. I nodded and pulled him back so that he was leaning fully into me, his head on my chest and my chin resting atop it.

"I ain't going out in that squirt, you're just gonna have to crash here tonight." He gazed up at me questioningly. I rolled my eyes. "You're safe here." He nodded. He knew. Then, he gave a big yawn and blinked blearily. "I guess we better go to sleep", I grunted, pushing him gently off me. "You can crash in my bed, I'll sleep on the couch. You need anything, give me a holler."

"I don't wanna take your bed Jason", Tim said.

"Too late", I replied lightly, scooping him up. He was limp in my arms, his head leaning lightly against my chest. I carried him over to my room where my small bed sat waiting for me, though I suppose now waiting for him. I put him down on the end of the bed for a moment, pulled back the covers and then scooped him up again, lying him beneath the sheets. I tried to remember the last time I cleaned them and figured it had been recent enough for Tim.

"Thanks Jason", Tim murmured softly, gazing up at me, "for everything." I sighed.

"Yea kid, you're welcome. Hold on a sec." I went off and came back with some extra blankets. I tucked him in and then wrapped those tightly around him to make sure he was covered from head to toe and quite warm enough. Every once in a while, the heating would shut off in the building and I didn't want him to freeze.

"Comfortable?" I asked. He nodded and I got up, turning around and intending fully to leave him then and get some sleep, when I heard him clear his throat.

"Jason, can I ask you something?" I paused.

"Sure kid, whatever?"

"Why do you hate me, I mean like really? When I was little, I idolized you. I wanted to be you, both you and Dick. I wanted us to be friends", he added softly at the end. I turned around and faced him, gazing up at me and all cocooned in blankets. Then, I sat down on the bed by his head.

"I don't know kid, I guess I never really hated you, it was more like I hated Bruce. You're easier to take things out on though." Tim smirked.

"Don't I know it."

"You replaced me, you know", I continued, unsure of why I was pouring out my soul to him, "that hurt. I thought he loved me, but he…I don't know." I gazed at the falling snow outside my window, feeling a shiver go through me. Then, I felt small fingers coil around mine. He was holding my hand, squeezing it gently.

"He still loves you", Tim murmured, "so much. He's just bad at showing it. You know that."

"He was never so distant with me. He just used to love me so much. He used to look at me like I was the sun. Now, I'm the grim under his feet."

"Your death screwed him up. He's so different now, he's so much darker." I heaved a sigh and turned to the boy.

"You're something else, you know that Drake. I've tried to kill you so many times, but here you are, extending the olive branch of peace. Bettcha Bruce would love it if you did that with Damian." Tim rolled his eyes. "It's tough on you, isn't it", I murmured, fingering his hair, "Dick spending all his time with Damian and Bruce spending all his time with Damian."

Tim shrugged but averted his eyes. Clearly, this was quite the unresolved issue. "Tell you what kid", I murmured, folding my legs beneath me as I slid down onto the ground, still holding his hand, "You need a big bro, I'll see what I can do about doing my part, that is, as long as you don't go telling anyone." Tim smiled at me, one of the first real smiles I'd ever seen him give.

"We can like, hang out and stuff, what Dick and I used to do", I continued, "maybe learn a little more about each other."

"I…I'd like that", Tim murmured. I gave his hand a pat and then tucked it back beneath the covers. With that, I got up and then leaned down, placing one small kiss on his little forehead.

"Night."

"Good night", Tim replied, closing his eyes. I smiled and padded slowly out after turning off the lights.

*Author's note: Yup, Tim wears briefs, check the pre reboot, pre Jason's return comics. They're not very pleasant looking. In fact, they're more like granny panties. Dick wears boxers. I'm like: "You wear a skin tight Nightwing costume. How the hell do you avoid lines and can I have your secret?" I mean really, he wears baggy boxers with lots of batman insignias on them. Those _have _to leave lines somewhere. I want a pair though.


End file.
